Humorous Side of Reporting.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 247, 17 October 1891, Page 3 (Supplement)

Humorous Side of Reporting.

Apropos of putting criminals oub of the world, as that operation is conducted in America, there is a striking anecdote in a little book jusb issued by Mr H. Thompson, entitled 'The Humorous Side of Shorthand and Reporting.' Here is the story :—' The crack reporter of a Brooklyn evening paper displayed an enterprise rare even in American journalism. If the story itself is nob a producb of American humour, bhis reporber, senb by an early train bo Trainfield, New Jersey, bo wibness an execution thab morning, on arrival found thao the criminal was nob bo be hanged bill midday, an arrangement altogether incompatible wibh the despatch of his reporb in time for insertion in his paper issued ab 2 p.m. He hurried off bo bhe Sheriff and implored bhab official bo give orders bhab the ceremony should take place an hour earlier. At first bhe Sheriff refused, but the reporter ab lasb coaxed him inbo promising that he would authorise bhe hour if bhe person chiefly concerned could be induced to consent thereto. The reporter was then admitted to the condemned" cell, where he briefly explained his wishes. Drinks were freely parbaken of, and bhe reporber made himself so agreeable thab presently the doomed man volunbeered the statement thab 'he did not mind being hanged an hour before hia time to oblige so pleasant a follow.' Which was accordingly done, and the two o'clock edition was ' saved.' But what would have been the legal position of the reporter if a reprieve had afterwards arrived ? Here is another amusing extract from the same pamphlet: — The allocution of Pope Pius IX., on conferring the cardinal's hab upon Monsignor McClosky, was of course of the highest inberest bo Roman Cabholics in America, and a correspondent of one of the New York papers, then in Rome, burned wibh desire bo obbain and belegraph ib to his paper before ibs publication to the world. ' I must have a copy to-day,' declared the correspondent to an American prelate of high position who was at the Vatican. After some altercation, concluded by the journalist with a threat of gaining admission to the Pope himself, and 'managing enough.ltalian to make the old boy understand what I want,' Monsignor, fearing a scandal, ab lasb consented to the try. 'Telegraph my allocution !' was the Pope's astonished comment. ' Telegraph my allocution ! Does he know how long it is, and whab ib will cosb ?' 'Oh 1 that, your Holiness, is a mabter of no consideration; perhaps a few bhousand francs. Our people are so anxious for bhe words your Holiness has graciously spoken on this occasion that bhe cosb of five or six bhousand francs or so is of no consequence.' Pius was immensely flabtered. He got up, trotted across the room to a large desk, and taking from it a printed copy of the desired document, said, ' Not another copy will go out before to-morrow; but take this to your friend, and let him telegraph ib at once. Five thousand francs. I rejoice thab our words are so highly valued by your people.' The prelate's part of the business, however, waa nob yet over. When he triumphantly brough. the copy of the speech to hia young friend the reporter, tbe latter, taking ib from him, said, ' All right. But thia is Latin. I must translate it in English. I'll tell you whab it is, Dr. C , you have gob to come with me to the office, and translate ib while I copy ib for the wire.' And that was the way bhe learned divine spenb the greater part of the night.